10 Day Rwenzori Hike to 4 Peaks

Pre-Trek: Arrival/Pickup

Pick you up from your hotel in either Kampala or Entebbe, and drive to Kasese (6 hrs.) with a stopover in the town of Fort Portal for a hot and fresh lunch.

You will then continue to Kasese to be dropped at your hotel, for dinner and overnight stay as you prepare for the adventure of the Rwenzori mountains.

Day 1: Transfer to the basecamp, briefing and hike to Sine Camp 2,596 metres.

After your early morning breakfast, you’ll be driven to the starting point of your trek for a briefing before your trek starts. You will then start trekking at 1,450 meters and sleep at Sine Hut at 2,596 meters, being a height gain of 1,146 meters. Those who are fit enough and would want to proceed to Kalalama Camp at 3,134 metres may do so.

Apart from the fantastic scenic views, this site gives you more time at Mutinda Camp where you may climb up to Mutinda Lookout at about 3,975 metres.

We start by walking up the valley floor through tall forest trees of the Afro Montane Forest Zone. This is a steady climb with multitudes of birds and a chance of seeing blue monkeys scampering off through the forest. At times visitors may see troupes of 15 to 20 black and white Colobus monkeys as they swing through the tree tops.

There are rare sightings of the L’Hoest monkeys which are part of the Bukonzo cultural emblems and are protected by the virtue of the King or Omusinga or you may hear wild chimpanzees in the distance. There is wide variety of plant species from forest trees to bamboo thickets, low shrubs, flowers, fungi, and with many moss and lichen covered vines hanging from the tall trees creating an awesome appeal.

Enock’s Falls are just 200 meters from Sine Hut and offer a splendid opportunity to capture a great screensaver for your memories.

At Sine Camp (2,596 metres) wooden huts set between tall forest trees on a narrow ridge where you may sit and enjoy the beauty of the Afro Montane forest while you look down at a fantastic waterfall crashing over the rocks far below. Sine is just below the bamboo zone and the area around has many different bird species. 150 meters from the camp is Enock falls which is set in livid green vegetation and hanging vine.

Sleep at Sine Camp 2,596 metres.

• Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 2: Hike to Mutinda Camp 3,588 meters.

Trekking starts at 8.30 am and almost immediately you enter the Bamboo-Mimulopsis Zone which is a steep climb with many high steps. In the wet season the bamboo zone is rather muddy and slippery making the going slow. However, the atmosphere and the forest is as beautiful as you climb 551 metres altitude at a distance of 1.8km to Kalalama Camp at 3,147 meters which is in the Heather-Rapanea Zone where you can take a rest and a quick cup of tea or coffee before heading on to Mutinda Camp.

The trail meanders up and over several small knolls along a ridge top then drops down the side of the valley before climbing again, and in doing so cross several small streams and pass close to moss covered waterfalls. You then climb steadily along the side of a beautiful mossy river which tumbles down over the rocks under the Giant Heather trees whose trunks are covered in green moss with old man beards (Usnea lichen) hanging from the branches.

The trail twists and turns as you climb up the deep valley, which has an enormous variety of plants and flowers. This valley is unique with many Giant Heather trees creating a beautiful atmosphere often shrouded in the mist.

In the afternoon, you may wish to climb up to the top of the Mutinda Lookout (one to two hours up and one hour down). The views are amazing as you stand on moss covered rocks at 3,925 meters with views across the Rwenzori Mountains and down to Kasese town and Lake George. For those clients who are climbing to Margherita or any of the main peaks climbing Mutinda 3,975 meters is also an excellent way to acclimatize and reduce the risk of high altitude sickness.

Sleep at Mutinda Camp at 3.588 metres.

• Meal Plan: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

Day 3: Hike to Bugata Camp 4,062 meters.

The trail to Bugata Camp is boggy particularly in the wet season but with a little skill you can step from tussock to tussock to make the going easier. First you cross the Mutinda valley through the tussock grass and everlasting flowers interspersed with many Giant Lobelias before climbing a steep section up to the Namusangi Valley (3,840 meters), with sheer waterfalls and looking back you get fantastic views of Mutinda Peaks. The Namusangi Valley is wide, with many ups and downs as the trail climbs steadily to Bugata Camp at 4,100 metres.

Day 4: Hike to Hunwicks Camp 3,974 metres.

Trek to Hunwick’s Camp via Bamwanjarra Pass. As you leave Bugata Camp you pass up a ridge then drop down slightly before ascending to Bamwanjarra Pass at 4,450 meters where we have a hut should the weather turn bad. From the pass on a clear day you get excellent views of the three main peaks.

The trail passes down the valley and around the edge of some bogs and thick ever green vegetation, moss. giant groundsel and lobelia. Here is possibly the best place in all the Rwenzori to observe the Malachite Sunbird as it feeds on the many lobelia flowers and a known breeding site. Further on are some steep sections before a steady climb up and over a ridge to Hunwick’s Camp which is situated on the top of a deep valley and has good views of Mt Stanley, Mt Baker, Weismann’s Peak and McConnell’s Prong.